There is hope for the Broncos to gain the No. 2 AFC playoff seed because, believe it or not, there will be hope they can beat the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in two weeks.

True, the Broncos have been historically awful in Baltimore since a franchise was transplanted to the Inner Harbor from Cleveland in 1996. The Broncos not only are 0-5 in road games against the Ravens, they have lost by an average of 17 points.

So where is the hope? In Peyton Manning, of course. Manning has won four consecutive games at Baltimore. His personal winning streak was put together while he was with the Indianapolis Colts, but he's the Broncos' quarterback now.

The Denver Post's NFL reporters post analysis, notes and more on this blog focusing on the Denver Broncos.

And, as the Broncos have steadily learned throughout this season, whatever trend that's been established from their past doesn't mean squat now that they have Manning in the present. And so the Broncos will not necessarily be doomed from the moment they step on the field Dec. 16 in Baltimore.

Wait a minute. What's that? Is that looking too far ahead?

Everybody knows Broncos coach John Fox doesn't want his players to look past Thursday's game against the rival Oakland Raiders in the Black Hole. And everyone has heard how Broncos players come out of meetings parroting what their coach just told them.

But where's the fun in that?

"We still want to keep getting better throughout the season," Manning said. "Not a whole lot of time to think about it with a game on Thursday."

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The Broncos say their only focus in the next three days will be on trying to beat the Raiders in Denver's fifth and final prime-time game of the regular season. But if the Broncos are going to play multiple prime-time games in the postseason, don't they have to slip past Baltimore and the New England Patriots and gain the No. 2 seed?

"We win the rest of them, chances are we'll like the result," Fox said after his news conference Monday. "We can't win the rest of them if we don't win this one (against Oakland)."

By running away with the AFC West Division title, the Broncos have clinched a first-round home playoff game. The No. 2 seed, though, would bring the added benefits of a first-round bye and a home playoff game in the second round.

It also would reduce their chances of having to win a mid-January playoff game against the Ravens in Baltimore or Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in New England.

Even Manning has had a tough time beating Brady and Belichick in New England.

"We've still got a lot of business to take care of," said Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil. "How that other stuffs falls out, we'll see how it plays out."

Compared to the Ravens and Patriots, the Broncos easily have the weakest remaining schedule, at least on paper. The Ravens' final four opponents are so difficult, they will have to play well merely to finish 2-2. The Patriots are getting ready for a two-week gauntlet against the current No. 1 AFC seed, the 11-1 Houston Texans this Sunday, then 8-3-1 San Francisco on Sunday night in two weeks.

On paper, the Broncos appear to have just one toughie remaining — at Baltimore. Looking ahead, should the Broncos, Ravens and Patriots all wind up with the same record, the tiebreaker of conference record would not favor Denver. New England also has the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Broncos because the Pats won an earlier meeting this season, 31-21.

So the Broncos will have to earn the No. 2 seed by finishing with a better record than New England and by beating Baltimore. That's why their game Dec. 16 in Baltimore will be huge.

Providing, of course, the Broncos don't get caught looking past their Thursday night game in Oakland.

Trying hard to be No. 2The Houston Texans are in good shape for the No. 1 AFC playoff seed. The No. 2 seed, though, is possible for the Broncos. Denver would most likely need to win the No. 2 seed outright. A three-way tie between Denver, Baltimore and New England would not favor the Broncos because of conference record in the tiebreaker. The Broncos have the easiest remaining schedule of the AFC's current top five teams:

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